It is always sad when a classic crosses our desks at Barn Finds where the owner must sell due to deteriorating health. Such is the case with this 1965 Ford Galaxie 500 LTD. It presents exceptionally well for a classic of this vintage, and the rebuilt V8 under the hood provides the power to match those looks. It has no urgent needs and is ready to hit the road with a new owner behind the wheel. I must say a big thank you to Barn Finder Curvette for spotting the Ford listed here on eBay in Bowling Green, Kentucky. The owner set their BIN at $21,000 with the option to make an offer.
Ford introduced a new Galaxie range for the 1965 model year. The styling was far bolder and more aggressive than its predecessor, while an increase in overall length provided marginally more interior space. The seller has listed this first-year Galaxie 500 LTD on behalf of their father. Deteriorating health means that he can no longer drive a classic that has been his constant companion since 2017. That gentleman’s affection for the Ford is reflected in the attention it has received. He had it repainted in its original Dark Green almost as soon as he took delivery, adding a new Black vinyl top in 2019. The results justified the expense, because this Galaxie looks stunning. There are no cosmetic shortcomings; the paint, panels, and vinyl all present beautifully. The restored bumpers enhance the visual appeal of a rust-free car. The remaining trim and tinted glass are excellent, and the narrow whitewalls provide the ideal finishing touch.
The original owner walked the middle ground when selecting the engine powering this Galaxie. They teamed the 352ci V8 with a three-speed C4 automatic transmission and power-assisted steering and brakes. The 352 is a pretty healthy performer, developing a factory-quoted 250hp. If the car’s physical condition is positive, the same is true beneath the surface. The owner had the engine rebuilt, and it has only clocked around 4,000 miles since. The seller confirms that the four-barrel carburetor is probably too big, but that the Ford still runs and drives extremely well. They say that they wouldn’t hesitate to slip behind the wheel to drive it anywhere, confirming that this is a turnkey proposition.
The current owner lavished more TLC on this Ford’s interior, installing new seatcovers that remain in as-new condition. In fact, the only genuine cosmetic shortcomings are the slightly faded carpet and the cracked wheel. Neither problem is insurmountable, and wouldn’t cost a fortune to address. The seller confirms that the air conditioning is inoperative due to a faulty expansion valve, and that the factory radio and windshield washers don’t work. Otherwise, it is plain sailing for this classic’s new owner.
This 1965 Ford Galaxie 500 LTD ticks so many boxes that it is almost too good to be true. That doesn’t mean that it’s perfect, but its flaws are so minor that most could be easily ignored. It is a turnkey proposition that should offer the buyer years of reliable motoring joy. The price is above market expectations, although the figure isn’t unprecedented. Do you think this Ford will find a new home at $21,000, or will seller compromise be the order of the day?
Like you note Adam, this LTD has a few issues but in the big picture they are minor. Overall it looks like a very nice car. Love the green buttoned cloth upholstery. AI says the 1965 LTD sold over 100,000 cars and was 20% of the full size Ford sales, so I’d say it was a big success. Although it pretty much duplicated what Mercury was meant to be in the FoMoCo lineup of the day.
When I was a kid, a friends dad had a car exactly like this. They weren’t rich, he and his mom both worked at Briggs ( for like 45 years), and coughed up about $3316 for this car, or about $648 dollars more than a regular Galaxie 500. Now,,,when I complain about how someone could easily afford $3500, have a nice home, AND a color TV. Can people spend 5 figures on seemingly foolish purchases and still have all what we had in 1965? Time will tell, huh. With no bids, I think they may be a bit surprised at the lack of interest today.
Nice daily driver. The BIN is certainly optimistic especially considering non-working AC, radio and cracked steering wheel. Why not just fix this crap and be realistic on price. Can’t see anyone paying more than 10-12K.
You are right. People may like these, but that’s not the same as wanting to own one, especially for $21,000. They have a small pool of potential buyers, price matters, there are a lot of similar cars available for a fraction of the price.
Steve R
2 door might get to that money, but even then everything is going to have to work. A 4 door?…you might even be optimistic on the 10-12. I had a 66 4 door back 50 years ago. Paid $37 for it and gave another guy $50 for a complete front clip for it. (all I needed was a radiator, grill and hood but it was the complete clip or nothing). Drove that car for 10 years and put well over 100k miles on it. At that point I had for sale a 65 2 door as well. Got $1800 for the 2 door and $1000 for the 4 door even tho the 4 door was in waaay better condition. I had also swapped the interior in the 4 door with that out of a 7 liter coupe so it was pretty cool looking.
Many years ago my next door neighbor had a twin to this car except it was maroon and reverse did not work. Their driveway had a decent incline so they had no trouble getting in or out from there. But I always wondered how they managed elsewhere without reverse.
Reminds me of a buddy that had a rambler wagon in high school. They had a flat driveway and no on street parking so he drove all the way around his house when he wanted to leave.
Our electrical contractor had a Dodge van without reverse. They used to bounce it off the curb to turn it around.
After owning Ford models for decades, my folks bought a brand new 1965 Ford Galaxie. After a few years the beautiful blue paint faded, pilled off, and developed a rusty patina. It too, had issues with the automatic transmission! When my dad put it in Drive, it took off in Reverse! We never bought a Ford product after that. There was a Ford plant in my home town of Lorain, Ohio. My folks wanted to continue to support the company, but gave up and bought the newly designed second generation VW Golf, in 1985. They loved it!
If everything worked & it needed absolutely nothing, the ask might not be bad because you wouldn’t need to turn around & dump more into it. As it stands, yeah, it’s probably overpriced. But still cooler to me than most any of the more sought-after classics.
An interesting and sort of rare car. But at $21,000? There aren’t enough buyers out there who want to relive their childhood, riding in the backseat of dad or grandpa’s LTD. And not many younger drivers, back when this was a cheap used car, would be seen dead in a 4 door. No memories to cling to, is a hard sell.
Should have had the engine bay/motor cleaned up.
Ford made some real living room grade fabric interiors for these LTD’s. This interior is all vinyl, but still a nice enough job.
Out of the fifty or so cars that I have had the pleasure of owning, the Galaxie 500 LTD four door hardtop is one of them I wish I had never sold. Mine was metallic blue with the 390. It also had a small under dash console with door ajar, low fuel, E-flasher and vacuum door lock buttons. Perfect interior, unmolested and everything worked. 21K is a stretch
As I look at it I think of it as a hand me down and what would I do with it? I grew up with big 60’s ford wagons. I don’t mind it being a four door but all I can think is that I’d want to hot rod it.
Standard stuff, strip the unnecessary, beef up the drive train and suspension, install a healthier cam with a better fit 4bbl …
I know sacrilege to many.
But none of that happens at the sellers price point.
The ’65 Full size Fords were really great road cars. Quiet, and really absorbed the road bumps. When you got where you were going you didn’t feel beat up and sore. The LTD had even more sound deadening so it was nice to ride in. Some of the ltds had the rear vacuum operated vents behind the rear windows that opened up from a switch on the dash. It allowed fresh air from the cowl to flow through the cabin and empty out the vents between the rear window and trunk lid. So you could smoke with the windows up. Thunderbirds from ’64-’66 hardtops and landaus had this on every car (except convertibles)
‘Rode to school in a brand new dark blue one with very dark upholstery of the finest weave imaginable. These were extremely nice cars… and the interior styling and trim was way above Chevy Impala…
Nice
Never really cared for this change from the 64 styling. As I look at the picture of the engine, is that driver side shock mount area rusted out or is that debris on it? If they had the engine overhauled, they would have had to pull it to do so. Would have been a good time to clean up the engine bay, especially the rusted hood hinges. Price is too high, way better cars for the price.
Azzurra
That is debris on the fender. You can see in the e-bay pictures. One picture it looks like rust and in the next it is normal for under that hood.
” Quiet as a Rolls Royce” was their slogan.
THE transmission for this should be an old fashioned cast iron case Cruiseomatic. I know this from experience as I had a 65 Convertible and put at least one used transmission in it.
Nice car. But, when you’re asking top dollar the entire car should be detailed to a high standard to show it’s had some pampering in it’s lifetime. Just Saying . . .
This listing ended on Wed, Dec 17. Unsold